[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 55 (Saturday, March 21, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1882-S1889]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





    MIDDLE CLASS HEALTH BENEFITS TAX REPEAL ACT OF 2019--Motion to 
                            Proceed--Resumed

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order, the Senate will 
resume consideration of the motion to proceed to H.R. 748, which the 
clerk will report.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       A bill (H.R. 748) to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 
     1986 to repeal the excise tax on high cost employer-sponsored 
     health coverage.

  Mr. McCONNELL. I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Romney). Without objection, it is so 
ordered.
  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, each of us receives a report almost on an 
hourly basis from our home States. At the end of the day, my State of 
Illinois sends a report on the latest situation involving this COVID-19 
virus. There were 163 new infections announced yesterday--that is the 
biggest 1-day jump we have had--and 1 additional death.
  Governor Pritzker has issued a stay-at-home order for the State of 
Illinois today beginning Saturday, today, at 5 p.m. until April 7. The 
city of Chicago is closing its parks and libraries, as well, starting 
today.
  The Veterans' Administration has reported one confirmed veteran's 
case with the virus in the Chicago area. That person is now under home 
quarantine.
  We had an exceptional situation at Midway Airport where two FAA tower 
employees tested positive for the virus several days ago, and we, of 
course, have to have an abundance of care and caution for the remaining 
employees there. The FAA, together with the city of Chicago, has been 
involved with screening the other employees and also determining 
whether the workplace has been cleaned properly before anyone goes back 
to work. The net result of it has been that Southwest Airlines 
announced suspending its flights in the Midway Airport because of this 
tower situation. When I spoke to the head of the Federal Aviation 
Administration, he told me there was a similar challenge at another 
major airport.
  I am afraid we haven't heard the last of it. It is an indication of 
what happens when someone tests positive in a work atmosphere that is a 
critical part of our economy and the safety of our Nation. Our hope 
is--fingers crossed--that this tower may resume its activities the 
early part of next week, but we want to make sure that when we do, all 
the employees are going to be safe in their workplace.
  We are also laboring in Illinois, as many States are, with the 
problem of not having adequate testing. We just don't know the extent 
of the infection. I mentioned the numbers that were reported yesterday, 
but that is based on the very small sample of tests that are being 
taken. We still have not received the test kits, and those that we 
have, some of them cannot be used because they don't have the necessary 
reagent or chemical that is part of the collection process. It turns 
out we are dependent on a foreign source for that chemical. In ordinary 
times, it was never a problem, but in extraordinary times, it is.
  I joined with Senator Alexander, Senator Blunt, and Senator Murray 
asking the National Academy of Sciences, in the midst of this crisis, 
to step back, get to altitude, and look down on the dependence of the 
United States on foreign-made medicines, medical equipment, and medical 
devices, and determine whether we need to reassess that dependence.
  In the ordinary course of business, there is no problem with things 
traveling back and forth between the United States and foreign 
countries, but in this situation, where there is a public health crisis 
that has interrupted ordinary trade patterns, or in the future, if we 
anticipate a similar challenge because of terrorism, we have to think 
ahead.
  I hope the National Academy of Sciences will give us their analysis 
of this situation as it currently exists and some guidance on how to 
look to these issues in the future. It is critical that we do.
  We also know that we have problems relating to our hospitals. One of 
the things we have urged Senator McConnell to consider--and Senator 
Schumer used the term ``Marshall Plan'' for our hospitals--I think it 
is absolutely essential.
  Yesterday, I had a conference call with 30 or 40--maybe more--
hospital administrators in the State of Illinois. I wanted to share 
some of the thoughts they gave me yesterday in the course of that 
conversation. This is through the Illinois Hospital Association. They 
said: What we need is a direct and immediate infusion of funds. We need 
access to critical supplies. We need a surge capacity.
  There are 300,000 hospital workers in Illinois. At this point, they 
need protective equipment that is lacking in so many areas. It turns 
out that our Federal stockpile--whatever it is worth--was either not 
large enough or cannot be distributed fast enough to meet the needs of 
these hospitals.
  One of the hospital administrators--I am not going to name the 
individual hospital, but one of the hospital administrators of a major 
hospital in Chicago said: We are worried about a shortage of 
ventilators. I heard that over and over again.
  They also want to let us know that these hospitals are taking huge 
financial hits today. We know about the restaurant industry because we 
see the closed restaurants, and we can imagine all the workers not 
reporting to work and trying to make things work for their families 
under the circumstances, but we don't appreciate the fact that because 
of this COVID-19, many of our hospitals have seen a significant 
reduction in their revenue streams.
  One of the hospital administrators said: Our outpatient clinic work 
is down to a minimum, and elective surgeries are being put off for 
obvious reasons. That is 50 percent of our revenue at the hospital, and 
so we have revenue issues going into this.
  They urged me to, through Medicare and Medicaid, increase 
reimbursements, and based on preliminary bipartisan discussions 
yesterday, I believe that is being considered. Both Medicaid and 
Medicare would increase the DRGs, for example, which is the 
reimbursement mechanism for those treating COVID-19 patients.
  They are concerned--and they told me this over and over again--that 
at a moment when we need our hospitals more than ever, many of the 
hospitals are facing closure because they just don't have the funds 
necessary to keep the doors open. The ordinary sources of revenue and 
profit have been pushed back and reduced. There are a variety of 
proposals that came to us in terms of making these Federal funds 
available, but they urged me over and over again to do this as quickly 
as possible and not to establish some long, involved bureaucratic 
process for applying for these funds.

  We also talked about the money flowing directly to the hospitals 
rather than through State governments or through some Federal agencies. 
I know this is risky business when it comes to accounting, but at a 
time of a national economic and public health crisis, I personally 
agree with them. I think we have no choice.
  I went through the hospitals, and they talked about their liquidity 
and cash problems. They said we need to treat this like a FEMA 
emergency. There are responses that use hospitals in those emergencies, 
that cut through the redtape and get the money to the places needed as 
quickly as possible. We have to do exactly the same thing.
  They talked about the number of infections growing exponentially, and 
they also talked to me about one rural hospital that literally said 
they were within days of closing. I can tell you, in that area of the 
State--a rural part of the State of Illinois--it means patients facing 
any medical challenges will have long distances to travel to find a 
place to be treated. We can't let that happen if it is at all possible 
to save these hospitals.
  They understand the overseas supplies are coming in. Many of them are 
desperately needed. They asked if there is any way to expedite that by 
the use of cargo air that may not be utilized in the ordinary course of 
business. We are looking into that because of our economic situation.

[[Page S1883]]

  I could give more information, but I won't. It is pretty obvious. The 
first line of defense for us in this public health crisis will be our 
hospitals. We are hoping that patients, through telemedicine, can be at 
least counseled and diagnosed and we can avoid people coming to 
emergency rooms unless it really is necessary.
  I understand the impulse we all have. If someone we love feels sick 
and appears to have the symptoms, we want them tested immediately and 
treated immediately. We have to take care and heed the advice even when 
it is hard. Telehealth is a way for us to have a better diagnosis of 
those in long distances and perhaps counsel them that an immediate trip 
to the emergency room is not necessary. I hope we can reach that point.
  We are also concerned about extension of facilities. Currently, the 
major hospitals in my State are looking to the expansion through 
tents--the kinds of emergency shelters that might be available so that 
people can be separated from one another.
  Yesterday, I spoke to the Secretary of the Army, Mr. McCarthy, about 
the availability of Department of Defense expertise. The Department of 
Defense can step into a situation and very quickly convert hotels into 
hospital-type arrangements. They can take closed hospitals and put them 
up and running in very quick order. I think that expertise is 
desperately needed.
  I encouraged the Secretary of the Army and Secretary of the Defense 
to make that expertise available. We are connecting them right now, 
between our State and the experts at the Department of Defense. These 
are men and women who do this. They are prepared to do it at a moment's 
notice if our military men and women are in peril. I would say at this 
point, America is in danger because of this, and we should turn to 
their responses and help as quickly as possible.
  I want to say one thing about a statement made earlier today by both 
Senator Schumer and Senator McConnell. We have before us an 
opportunity--and I hope we seize it--to show we can continue the 
bipartisanship that leads us to this moment.
  The first two bills that addressed this COVID-19 or coronavirus virus 
threat to America were handled in an extraordinary way--perhaps to the 
surprise of many Americans. They were done on a bipartisan basis and on 
a timely basis.
  We have only had the Republican proposal for a little over 24 hours. 
Yet I can tell you that as soon as it was received, active negotiations 
were undertaken at all levels. I sat through many of them yesterday. 
They were done in good faith. There are differences, clearly, in 
policy. We are really writing these bills as we travel down this path--
this dangerous path. It is important that we do it in a timely way but 
also exercise good judgment.
  My concern now is that we get this done and done this weekend because 
if we can finish this bill in a satisfactory way to both Republicans 
and Democrats and report it to the House when they return next week, 
they will be able to take it up and move on it quickly.
  There are so many Americans who are desperately waiting for word from 
Washington as to what their future will be--first in terms of medical 
care but second in terms of keeping their families together in 
difficult times. I am not opposed, nor have I heard anyone opposed to 
providing financial assistance to individuals and families who really 
need it. We want to do that. I know the Presiding Officer has been a 
leader on this issue as well. But we also were hoping that we can 
include in this some guarantee that it won't be one-and-done, that it 
isn't just a matter of providing this one check, stepping back, and 
waiting for the consequences. We know many people are facing long-term 
challenges and need an immediate and long-term commitment from us to 
make sure their families can stay together during this difficult time. 
I believe we can and should.
  Let me close by saying this is an exceptional time. We are isolated 
in one respect but closer in another. I think we all have come together 
in ways unanticipated. I have been on two--FaceTime and Zoom--apps this 
morning with members of my family, and we are doing this now almost on 
a daily basis. I feel more connected now in one respect than usually is 
the case. It is because we all care for one another. It goes beyond 
families; I believe that sentiment is shared across America. We have to 
keep it alive despite our political differences, despite all the things 
that separate us. There is so much more that brings us together and so 
much more that unites this country. We have to depend on that strength 
now more than ever.
  This is a challenge the likes of which we have never seen in our 
modern history. We can rise to this challenge, as we have so often in 
the past. I know we can do it in a unified way, bringing this Nation 
together.
  I yield the floor.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I want to clarify a statement I made 
earlier. I said that, because of problems at the control tower at 
Midway, Southwest Airlines had suspended its flights. It turns out it 
has substantially curtailed its flights, but it has not suspended all 
of its flights.
  I want to put that on the record because, in this moment of great 
national challenge, we should all take care that our remarks are 
accurate. The earlier press report has been amended by the newspapers, 
and I wanted to make my statement on the floor clear.
  I yield the floor.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. President, thank you for presiding today, and to 
all who are here at this moment of extreme challenge for our country 
and for the world, we must rise to the occasion and unite to fight a 
common enemy, COVID-19, also known as the coronavirus.
  What we are witnessing is Americans from all backgrounds and all 
walks of life doing that around the country--coming together and 
uniting, not physically close, but spiritually close to one another as 
we work our way through this crisis.
  In my State of Maryland, people are doing exactly that. Our 
healthcare workers on the frontlines--whether they be nurses, whether 
they be people working in clinics, in the hospitals, whether they be 
doctors, they are all pulling together to get the job done.
  Elected officials from the Federal, State, and local governments are 
working together, as are nonprofits and businesses.
  Three nights ago, I held a telephone townhall meeting on COVID-19, 
and more than 5,000 Marylanders joined that call. They called in to 
share their hopes, their concerns, and their determination.
  Yesterday, in Maryland, we lost the second life to COVID-19, and our 
medical services are being stretched thin. But people are coming 
together to get the job done, and as we address the healthcare 
challenges, we must also deal with the financial and economic pain that 
is arising from that and spreading quickly.
  Most of all, Marylanders, like other Americans, told us they want 
clear guidance from public health officials and a united and effective 
response to both the healthcare crisis and the economic fallout.
  Since Marylanders are united and Americans are united, we, too, in 
Congress must unite to do our job. And to date--to date--we have risen 
to meet the moment. The question is, What comes next?
  Over a few weeks ago, we did unite to pass emergency legislation to 
provide $8.3 billion to provide funding to our public health systems 
and to direct more dollars toward developing a vaccine and 
therapeutics.
  Last week we passed a measure to ensure that tests for the 
coronavirus are free. It makes no sense to have any American 
discouraged from getting a

[[Page S1884]]

test because they can't pay for it. That hurts them; that hurts the 
entire community. That was an important provision, as was the emergency 
food assistance for people in need.
  In States that have closed schools, we have lots of students who are 
now home. Many of those students get one of their best meals at school 
during lunch, so that emergency food assistance has been absolutely 
vital. In Maryland, we have about 350 schools that are now being used 
for families to pick up food for their kids and for others in the 
community.
  We help provide more resources to State insurance systems, which are 
being stressed more and more as we speak, and we need to do a lot more 
on that front.
  We passed emergency sick leave measures because we do not want to 
have anybody feeling that they have to go to work in order to get the 
paycheck to pay the bills if they are feeling sick. That is bad for 
them, and obviously it is bad for their coworkers who would risk 
getting the virus. So we took an important measure there, although 
there, as well, there were big gaps in the paid sick leave provisions, 
which we must close as we work on round 3 of this legislation.
  So that brings me to what we are going to face now in the coming 12 
to 24 hours, which is coming up with an economic package--a package 
that deals with the economic fallout, and I want to address what I 
think should be our priorities there.
  But before I do that, I do want to take a moment to talk about the 
healthcare situation that we are witnessing right now because, of 
course, to the extent that we can stop the spread of the virus, to the 
extent we stop the contagion from the virus, that is also the fastest 
way to try to get our economy back on track. What we are seeing is so 
many businesses going under and being threatened because of precautions 
people are taking--understandable precautions--to make sure that we 
don't spread the virus.
  So in that fight on the healthcare front, I want to salute--I want to 
salute--and thank all those healthcare workers who are on the 
frontlines: the nurses, the hospital and clinic staffs, the doctors who 
are doing heroic work and putting their lives and their health at risk 
to help others and save the lives of others.
  We here in this Chamber must do everything in our power to support 
them in that important work--to support them as they support others. 
That begins with making sure they have all the equipment they need to 
protect themselves, but that is not happening. That is not happening as 
we gather here.
  There are severe shortages in the supply of masks, shortages in 
supplies of simple but essential items, like gloves and gowns.
  It took far too long, but the President finally invoked his authority 
under the Defense Production Act, which helps spur domestic production 
of some of these supplies. But even as we gather now, it is not clear 
whether that is really up and running as it should be. In fact, it is 
suggested from reports that we are falling short.
  At the same time, we know others in the world are experiencing these 
shortages. They are also being hit hard by the coronavirus. So here in 
the United States, we cannot continue to expect to get these necessary 
supplies from overseas when they are going to need them and keep them 
in their own countries, and that is why it is essential that we ramp up 
efforts yesterday to make sure that we have these supply chains here at 
home.
  Testing of the coronavirus--it is clear that the coronavirus got an 
8- to 10-week head start in this country, and we were woefully 
unprepared, especially with respect to tests to try to identify the 
spread of the virus and where it was and how fast it was moving. We 
were also unprepared on our testing infrastructure.
  While we are now ramping up, we are still far behind. There are still 
far too many bottlenecks in the system. At Johns Hopkins University in 
Baltimore, they are doing their own testing, but their testing has been 
limited by shortages in reagents. That was true a week ago; it 
continues to be true today. And the University of Maryland Medical 
System, another major research hospital system in our State, has not 
yet begun to do their testing because of continued shortages of 
reagents. That is absolutely unacceptable.
  We are also hearing of shortages in swabs--simple swabs--simply to 
take the test. We need to ramp up the testing supply. We also need to 
knock down the barriers to getting tests. We need to adopt the South 
Korean model, and many of us have been calling for this for a long 
time. We see States and Governors moving forward with this, but the 
Federal Government needs to take a much more active role in 
establishing that infrastructure.
  Ventilators--we have more and more sick patients, and if the 
trajectories continue, it is clear we will face a shortage in 
ventilators. We have to ramp this up much faster than we are doing 
right now because, otherwise, we are going to have a lifesaving 
treatment intervention that will not be available for those who need 
it.
  Mr. President, we are witnessing shortages in hospital beds overall 
and shortages of beds in ICUs. We need the Army Corps of Engineers to 
be working and building out this necessary emergency infrastructure.
  As we take these emergency measures, we also need to continue to do 
the urgent work of developing therapeutics and a vaccine.
  I visited the National Institutes of Health about 3 or 4 weeks ago. 
It is a national treasure. We are proud to have it located in the State 
of Maryland along with the FDA. At NIH, I met with scientists who are 
on the frontlines of developing the vaccine. They are working 24/7.
  I think this moment is appropriate to salute all the men and women 
who work at NIH. I hope I never see another budget proposal coming down 
that cuts the vital medical research that is conducted there and around 
the country.
  They are working on a vaccine, and they are working on therapeutics. 
They are in the process of conducting clinical trials on both. As we 
have heard reported, they are conducting clinical trials on some off-
label drugs. These are drugs that have been developed to try to fight 
against other diseases. They may not have worked against other 
diseases. They may work as a therapeutic in this case of the 
coronavirus, but as Dr. Fauci has warned us, nobody will know until we 
do a clinical trial and nobody's hope should be unrealistically raised 
until the evidence is in.
  On the vaccine front, we have been told by the scientists--by Dr. 
Fauci and others in his lab--that it will take a minimum of 12 to 18 
months to develop a vaccine, and that is much faster than the usual 
timetable to develop a vaccine. People are working overtime to get this 
done. Clinical trials have already begun on a vaccine, as well, but 12 
to 18 months, while fast for developing a new vaccine, is a long time 
given the immediate crisis that we face now.
  So what do we do now on the healthcare front? First, no more mixed 
messages--let's let the healthcare authorities speak and provide the 
guidance that the American people need at this time.
  For far too long, the President of the United States downplayed the 
crisis, even calling it a hoax at one point. We know it is not a hoax. 
We know the death toll and the number of sick continues to rise, and we 
must pull together in a fact-based way to address it. We have to listen 
to people like Dr. Fauci and others who have called for dramatic social 
distancing measures.
  One of those measures we must take is teleworking wherever we can do 
it. We have seen offices here in the Senate and the House rapidly move 
toward teleworking and make changes in their offices to facilitate 
teleworking. Just a few days ago, the President finally said to the 
country that employers should facilitate telework--a little late, but 
it was the right message. Unfortunately, there has been a lot of foot 
dragging in the executive branch itself when it comes to teleworking. I 
and a number of our colleagues have asked the President to issue an 
Executive order on teleworking. The President has not done that yet.
  The head of the Office of Personnel Management resigned a few days 
ago. This is the person who is in charge of all the Federal Government 
personnel from an operational standpoint and who resigned in the middle 
of this crisis. We don't know why. Finally, OMB,

[[Page S1885]]

or the Office of Management and Budget, issued a directive to agencies 
saying to maximize telework. But I represent a lot of Federal 
employees, and I am hearing from lots of them that their agencies 
apparently haven't gotten the message. The President needs to issue 
that Executive order, and he needs to do it today. Too many Federal 
employees are being put at risk because agencies have not taken the 
time to expand telework opportunities. We need to lead by example, not 
from behind.
  Many Governors are leading by example and States are doing that, as 
are local officials. They are directing the necessary social distancing 
measures. In my State of Maryland, Governor Hogan has closed schools to 
prevent the spread of the virus. Restaurants are closed, bars are 
closed, gyms are closed, and many other gathering places are closed. 
There are all of those social distancing steps being taken--whether by 
government directive or voluntarily, by our constituents heeding the 
calls to take these precautionary measures. All of those necessary 
steps have resulted in a huge and escalating economic fallout.
  Thousands of workers have already been furloughed or laid off around 
the country. Small businesses are being crushed. No customers in the 
door, no sales, and no income mean you can't pay your employees. It 
means you can't pay your bills. Whether they are mortgages on your 
restaurant or mortgages on your home, those bills are still due and 
coming.
  So what do we do? What do we do as we approach round 3 here in the 
U.S. Senate and House, having successfully worked on a bipartisan basis 
to address rounds 1 and 2? First of all, as for unemployment insurance, 
because of rapidly escalating layoffs around the country, claims are 
rising, and we need to rise to the occasion. We need a far more robust 
system, and, certainly, during this emergency period, we should provide 
100 percent wage replacement to workers who have lost their jobs 
through no fault of their own as a result of this crisis.
  We also need to address the totally antiquated aspects of our 
unemployment insurance system. Some of that will have to wait until 
after the crisis, but on an emergency basis, we need to address the 
needs of people who are working as self-employed individual 
contractors.
  Let's say you are an event planner, and all of your events got 
canceled. You are not currently in the unemployment system in most 
States, probably, but you are no longer getting any income. We need to 
make sure the unemployment system in this emergency addresses those 
workers and we need to work on a long-term fix. There is the gig 
economy. We all know the gig economy is a larger and larger share of 
our economy. A lot of those workers are not covered. If you are a 
worker who is in the taxi business or working for one of the other 
transportation agencies, you are not able to pick up folks at the 
airport anymore because people aren't coming to the airport, and you 
are not covered by other unemployment systems.

  So if it is Uber or others, we need to address those workers and make 
sure they have wage replacement during this terrible shutdown of parts 
of the economy. We need to focus on that. Senator Wyden has introduced 
a bill--I am proud to cosponsor it with him--that addresses many of 
these issues, but we need to tackle it as part of the bill that we are 
dealing with right now, because these people are losing their jobs 
right now.
  Second is no foreclosures or evictions during this period of time. 
You lose your job. You got no money. We are working on wage 
replacement, but we haven't done this yet. In the meantime, bills are 
coming due. Someone is demanding a mortgage payment. Someone is 
demanding a rent payment. We need to freeze collections of these 
payments and defer payments until after the emergency.
  This is easier said than done, because when we say to a landlord that 
they can't collect the rent, we also need to say to the bank who loaned 
money to the owner of the building that they have to exercise 
forbearance on that loan.
  That is why a group of us and I organized a letter recently that went 
to the heads of the financial regulatory agencies--the Fed, the OCC, 
the FDIC--asking them to use the full extent of their powers to address 
this issue in a way that deals with the entire economic food chain, 
from the lenders at the top of the chain to the borrowers at the bottom 
of the chain, because they are the ones in a position to do it.
  I just got a letter back last night from the FDIC. I hope to hear 
from the others quickly, but we don't have time to wait. We should 
address that issue to the maximum extent in our powers in round 3, 
which we are working on right now.
  Third, small businesses and medium-sized businesses are crushed--no 
customers in the door, no revenue, bills mounting, trying to make 
payroll. Of course, many of them have already had to lay off some of 
their employees because their bills are coming due, and they have to 
try to figure out how to simply stay afloat.
  A lot of people have said: Well, let's give these small businesses 
emergency loans. Well, if you think about it, if you are a small mom-
and-pop operation, another loan at this point, when there are no 
customers coming in the door, is simply going to saddle you with more 
and more debt at the end of this emergency. So extending a loan is, in 
some ways, for these small businesses throwing them an anchor, because 
they are never going to be able to recover. They are only going to have 
more and more debts to pay off at the end of the day when they are 
trying to restart their businesses and get people back in the door.
  I have a wonderful local example. Her name is Julie Verratti. She is 
the co-owner of the brewery and restaurant in Maryland called Denizens. 
It is a family business. She wrote to me a number of days ago, because 
she is undergoing exactly these kinds of stresses and pressures. She 
writes:

       Small businesses need a bailout right now without delay. 
     The number one thing we need is cash retention and cash 
     infusion.
       Here are specific actions that will help make that happen:
       1. [An] immediate moratorium on all commercial debt 
     payments (loans and credit cards) mortgages, and rents. If 
     you have to choose, focus on SBA loans because small 
     businesses are the only ones that go the SBA backed route.

  She also says:

       Immediate moratorium on all evictions and foreclosures.

  We have to work on that front. I talked about that. But we also have 
to attack this from all angles. That is why this small business relief 
is so essential, and it must take the form of grants, so long as the 
businesses use that money for prescribed purposes: maintaining 
payroll--whatever payroll may be left--and paying their ongoing debts 
and obligations. Loans, as Julie says, will not fix this for small 
businesses. It must be in the form of grants--again, so long as the 
recipient complies with the terms of that grant.
  Small businesses like mom-and-pop organizations that already had to 
lay off employees should not be penalized. They should be eligible for 
the grants to pay their mortgages to keep themselves afloat.
  Many midsized businesses are in this position as well. We need to 
address that because they are in many cases laying off employees in 
large numbers.
  Just for a local example, people who live in this area may be 
familiar with Silver Diner. Unlike Dunkin' Donuts, which works on a 
franchise model, the Silver Diner owns its different Silver Diners 
throughout the region. They have 1,800 employees. Their employees, in 
most cases, have had to be furloughed or laid off because of no money 
in the door. But the Silver Diner is too big an operation to meet the 
strict requirements of the Small Business Administration. So, in this 
emergency situation, we need to provide flexibility that allows us to 
help some of these middle-sized businesses that are undergoing 
incredible stress because we want to make sure we help their workers 
and help them retain as many workers as they can, but also to make sure 
they can pay their bills when no customers are coming in the door. They 
need to pay the bills so that, when this is over, they can open up 
operations and rehire those employees.

  That is why Senators Murphy, Merkley, and I introduced a proposal 
yesterday to address these stresses on small and medium-sized 
businesses, not with emergency loans that they are not going to be able 
to afford to repay later, but with emergency grants so long as those 
grants are used for the

[[Page S1886]]

purposes indicated. That would put these small and midsized businesses 
in a position to rehire their employees once this economic storm passes 
through.
  There are, of course, other major industries that have been hard hit, 
and we should consider what kind of relief is appropriate for them, 
like the airlines. We have to be very careful that we don't repeat some 
of the things that went wrong in the past when it came to helping big 
businesses. Yes, we would like to help their workers through this 
storm, but we need to make sure that any funds that go to the airlines, 
for example, are not used for more stock buybacks that simply help 
their stockholders and executives and CEOs.
  The airlines have engaged in a huge amount of stock buybacks in the 
last year, including after the $2 trillion tax cut that was provided. 
Instead of using a lot of that revenue to invest in their workers and 
plant equipment, a lot of it went out the door in the form of stock 
buybacks, and it would be unacceptable for any relief monies to go for 
that kind of purpose or to go for any kind of bonuses.
  In fact, if the taxpayers are going to be making some investments to 
keep some of these big industries afloat, we should look at what we did 
in some of the earlier cases later in the game with respect to 
preferred stock so that taxpayers get fully repaid and we also have a 
stake in the future success of that investment.
  One other big area that has not gotten much attention in discussions 
here on Capitol Hill until the last few days has been the huge needs 
being faced by State and local governments--States like my State of 
Maryland, cities like Baltimore City, and other cities and towns in 
Maryland. They are on the frontlines in many respects, and they are 
facing huge pressures, which is why we received a letter, an emergency 
plea from the National Governors Association, just the other day.
  This is a bipartisan point from Governors Larry Hogan and Andrew 
Cuomo, and they point out, No. 1, that Medicaid is a major source of 
Federal help that they use to provide for the medical needs of people 
in their States, and they are asking for an increase in FMAP. We 
provided some increase in FMAP in one of the earlier bills we passed, 
but they desperately need more as the health impact of the virus 
continues to spread.
  As you can imagine, transit systems, whether paid for by States or 
local jurisdictions, are essentially seeing all their revenues dry up 
as people understandably don't get on those crowded systems. So no 
revenue means that they are in a world of hurt. We need to provide 
emergency help.
  The National League of Cities has also sent us a letter talking about 
similar kinds of needs, and we need to address those needs in this 
bill, round 3, and not, as some are suggesting, postpone that to some 
future date. We don't know when that would be because the emergency is 
now, and the need is now.
  Finally, this healthcare crisis has exposed some huge fissures in our 
society in the kind of safety net that we provide. I am not going to go 
into the entire list because it is too exhaustive to go through, but I 
want to highlight a couple of things.
  We had, in the first instance, the question of whether people are 
going to have to pay for the coronavirus tests. We all recognize that 
it is a public health imperative. It would be a mistake to have people 
have to pay for tests because, if you can't afford it and therefore 
don't get it, then it not only hurts you, but it hurts other people
  There has been a lot of discussion about the vaccine. When we develop 
a vaccine--and we hope we will--that also needs to be available to all 
Americans without cost. That is something we need to address.
  Senator Scott from Florida and I have pointed out that a lot of the 
drugs that are developed by pharmaceutical companies are drugs that 
benefited from the research at the National Institutes of Health. And 
who pays for the research at the National Institutes of Health--at NIH? 
Well, the taxpayer, to the tune of about $40 billion a year.
  So it makes no sense at all for the taxpayers, who made this big 
investment in research and development of a drug, to then be price-
gouged by the pharmaceutical companies that take the benefits of that 
good work and then add a big, big pricetag. Our proposal would make 
sure that where you have that kind of public investment in research and 
development, you essentially have a process to make sure that there is 
a reasonable price. Ultimately, when it comes to a public health 
vaccine, as is being developed now, we need to make sure that it is 
available to everybody and that nobody cannot afford that.
  Second, as our schools have been shut in many States, we are seeing 
the results of the digital divide--just one piece of that--because 
there are a lot of students who don't have access to the internet, and, 
therefore, they are not going to be able to engage in distance learning 
if this crisis continues and schools decide to try to expand distance 
learning. Why? Because they are not connected to the internet or they 
don't have a computer at home, so many of us have introduced proposals 
on this. I have introduced a bill to close the digital homework gap. We 
are asking the FCC to use emergency authorities to direct funds to buy 
devices--simple devices--that a student who is not connected to the 
internet could use to get some reception to be able to do their 
homework. We should do that right now, but then, of course, we have the 
longer term challenge of building out that broadband infrastructure to 
deal with the digital divide.
  Then there are things we should do to make sure we are better 
prepared. There is a long list of those, but one of them is pretty 
simple. Senator Angus King and I have sent a letter to the folks who 
are finalizing and putting this bill together to require that the 
office at the White House that had previously existed under the Obama 
administration--the office that was set up specifically to be an early 
warning system for a pandemic response like the one we are witnessing--
that that be a permanent office within the White House and that no 
future President would be able to dismantle that office. We are 
learning now, the hard way, what happens when you don't have that early 
warning system and strategic response at the highest levels of the U.S. 
Government.
  So those are some of the things we should be doing. As we gather 
here, America's best minds--our top scientists around the world--are 
looking to answer questions about the virus and help develop a vaccine. 
Brave healthcare workers are treating the sick and preparing for many 
more patients. The people who produce and deliver our food and other 
essentials, who keep our water, power, and internet on are all at work, 
whether in their work spaces or teleworking. First responders are on 
duty, and our military continues to defend the Nation.
  Marylanders and Americans are doing their part--staying at home, 
social distancing, finding ways to be together while apart, and, 
perhaps most challenging for kids, staying busy and not going 
completely stir-crazy. Teachers and students are embracing distance 
learning. Families are marking birthdays and other special occasions 
with e-cards and video chats. Those at the lowest risk are doing what 
they can to protect the most vulnerable among us.
  The fundamental decency of all these Americans is shining through. I 
draw strength and faith from their actions, and I know that, together--
if not physically together--working together, we will succeed. We will 
succeed if we come together here in the House and the Senate like 
Americans are working together around the country. If we can do that at 
this moment, as we approach round 3 of our actions, then I am 
absolutely confident that the country will have the resources and 
direction it needs. Let us be as united and determined as the American 
people.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Kennedy). Without objection, it is so 
ordered.
  Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, we are here on a Saturday, which is not 
typical for the U.S. Senate, but these are not typical times. More than 
a month before cases popped up in every State

[[Page S1887]]

across the country, some of the first coronavirus patients who were 
evacuated from China arrived in San Antonio, TX. They were quarantined 
at Lackland Air Force Base and treated by the dedicated health 
professionals there.
  At that point, things looked a lot different. Outside of those 
evacuees, no Texans were known to have acquired the coronavirus, and, 
for the most part, the virus didn't impact people's daily lives. They 
would see updates on the news about the growing number of cases in 
China, read about the people being evacuated from cruise ships and 
other countries, but there was no evidence the disease was spreading 
through our communities. Schools were filled with children, restaurants 
with customers, and arenas with sports fans.
  But, as we know now, it didn't take long before the situation took a 
quick turn. Once new cases began popping up, it was clear that our 
communities were exposed. Over the last few weeks, the virus has spread 
across the country, and our health officials and community leaders have 
taken every precaution to keep their people safe. They have canceled 
in-person classes, emptied office buildings, called off large events, 
and encouraged folks to stay home and avoid close contact with others.
  On Thursday, in Texas, Governor Abbott issued an executive order 
adopting the standards set out by the President and the Centers for 
Disease Control to further slow the spread across the entire State. 
Among other measures, this executive order closed schools and required 
all restaurants, bars, and food courts to put a stop to dine-in 
options. They have to move to drive-through, carry-out, or delivery 
service only.
  Now, I believe these precautions are in the best interest of the 
public health. Certainly, we hope they don't have to last long, but 
they are necessary now, and I want to thank the Governor for taking 
these steps in the interest of public safety.
  As cities across the State and across the country have taken similar 
precautions, we have seen the economic consequences that these 
difficult decisions have brought about. Our local restaurants, hardware 
stores, and gyms don't have the money to keep paying their employees' 
wages and expenses without anything coming in the front door.
  Through no fault of their own, many of these businesses suddenly find 
themselves without customers to serve, but the bills are still coming 
in. Expenses continue to pile up--things like rent, utilities, and 
other things you can't avoid, even if you are not paying payroll.
  Then, there are the employees wondering how long they are going to 
have to be off the job and how long it will be before they are able to 
apply for unemployment compensation or otherwise pay for their 
expenses.
  This is different from any crisis since I have been in the Senate. I 
got here shortly after 9/11. We know what that was like. It was about a 
trillion-dollar hit to our economy. Obviously, it was a national 
security incident. Three thousand Americans were killed here in the 
United States, and that started the war on terror, which we have been 
fighting ever since.
  In 2008, we had the great economic meltdown on Wall Street because of 
all of these exotic mortgage products that the banking and the mortgage 
industry had created. We remember what happened there. Unfortunately, 
it became necessary for us to take extraordinary measures to help the 
very same industry that caused the problem back in 2008. As distasteful 
as that was, I believe it was in the best interest of the country and 
our ability to recover from that disaster.
  This is different. Nobody in this country caused this problem. We are 
all equal victims of this virus. So I think, as we look at how we 
should respond to this epidemic--or pandemic, as now it has been called 
because it is global in nature--we need to look at how we can target 
the help to the people who need it the most in order to bridge this gap 
between the lack of a paycheck and unavailability of unemployment 
insurance, and how do businesses, small and large, burn through their 
cash or reserves but still stay alive so that they can rehire the same 
people they have laid off once this crisis passes.
  What I am hoping happens is that, after this crisis passes, we learn 
some important lessons, things about the supply chain for our 
medication, supply chain for medical equipment and the like, and what 
we need to do to protect ourselves and the rest of the globe against 
pandemics like this, because there has been, in my lifetime, nothing 
quite like this in terms of the fear it has engendered and the reaction 
of both the markets and the economy--as well as the public health 
concerns.
  So we need to learn important lessons from that. In the interim, we 
need to do everything we can to lend a helping hand to those who need 
our help. The Senate has already passed two bills as part of what we 
all know will be a long recovery process. The first focused primarily 
on our public health system by sending vital funding to healthcare 
providers, investing in the development of vaccines, possible 
treatments, and more diagnostic tests.
  Something I hear from my Governor and our local officials, something 
they need the most and ask me about the most, is testing, so that, for 
people who develop symptoms, they can figure out whether this is the 
seasonal flu, allergies, something else, or is this the COVID-19 virus, 
because, if it is the COVID-19 virus, they need to be isolated, either 
at home under the watchful eye of their healthcare professional or, in 
some cases, if they become seriously ill, if their breathing becomes 
compromised, they need to go to the hospital. So the first bill focused 
primarily on the healthcare aspects. The second bill that was passed, 
signed by the President just a few days ago--I think it was on 
Thursday--focused more on the small businesses and individual workers 
who have been impacted.
  Of course, as we all know, we are now working on the third 
installment. We don't know how many installments will be required, how 
many chapters are in this book that we are in the process of writing, 
but we know that this is important, and it is important that we act 
with effectiveness but speed at the same time.
  This is the largest of the bills so far. We are talking about amounts 
of money that stagger my imagination, but I believe this emergency 
requires bold action to address this pandemic from every angle 
possible. As I said, once this passes, we need to learn the lessons 
that this virus is trying to teach us to make sure we never find 
ourselves in this sort of vulnerable position again. But, in the 
meantime, we have other work to do.
  As the leader has previously outlined, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, 
and Economic Security Act--the acronym is CARES Act--will take action 
on four major priorities
  We will see, for people who, through no fault of their own, don't 
have any money coming in, direct financial aid--something many of us 
never would have contemplated under nonemergency circumstances. We will 
see, of course, relief for the small businesses I mentioned, people 
like the restaurants, hotels, and others. They have no customers 
because their business is shut--again, not through any fault of their 
own but because, by order of their Governor or local government 
official, for public health purposes they are shut down. So we need to 
find some way to throw a lifeline to those small businesses.
  Then, I believe, for those large employers that hire tens or maybe 
hundreds of thousands and probably millions of Americans, we need to 
find a way to help them obtain loans that they will pay back, with 
interest, but that will bridge this period of time while they are 
burning cash and wondering: Will I still be around? Will I still be 
viable as a business once this crisis passes?
  What we need to have happen is, once we defeat this virus, we need to 
make sure that America goes back to work and our economy, which was 
incredibly strong until this virus hit, is restored.
  I am hopeful that some of the projections that we have seen by people 
like JPMorgan and others, which, unfortunately, show a dramatically 
negative impact of the virus during the first and second quarter, the 
second quarter probably being the worst--we need to make sure that this 
is a V-shaped recovery. In other words, when we hit bottom, we need to 
make sure our economy bounces back, and that means these businesses 
need to remain intact,

[[Page S1888]]

and they need to be prepared to rehire their employees if they had laid 
them off. And we need to make sure that our economy is restored by a 
rapid recovery.
  That is why I think this bill is so important.
  Of course, the fourth is more support for our healthcare 
professionals. On the first point, direct aid, we know many workers 
have lost their jobs or had their hours seriously cut down. As we all 
know, that is especially true for the service and hospitality 
industries, which have been the hardest hit.
  Think about your local waiter, somebody working for tips, somebody 
working for an hourly wage--bartenders, hairdressers, housekeepers--the 
ones who, only a few weeks ago, had jobs and steady paychecks and are 
now without any income with which to sustain themselves or their 
families. They are wondering how they are going to pay the rent before 
the first of the month, cover their electric bill, buy groceries to 
feed their family, and keeps things afloat until life returns to 
normal.
  We are working to get that money into the hands of Texans and 
Americans who need help now, as fast and as efficiently and as 
effectively as possible--no paperwork to fill out, just direct aid from 
Washington to middle-class Americans. Again, it is something I never 
would have contemplated in a nonemergency situation, but I think, under 
this situation, we need to act quickly and we need to act effectively 
to get money into the hands of those who, through no fault of their 
own, don't have any money coming in.
  This can help cover expenses while their income is short, perhaps 
provide a little extra stability, and inject a little extra money into 
our economy when it is desperately needed.
  On small businesses other than the ones I have mentioned, I have 
heard from a number of them who are worried they will not be able to 
weather the storm without significant and immediate financial 
assistance in some form. Well, this legislation would provide new small 
business interruption loans through their local financial 
institutions--the banks, their credit unions. These businesses can turn 
to those banks and credit unions and whoever their preferred lender 
might be for a federally backed, Small Business Administration loan. 
Qualifying businesses can use this money to cover their rent, core 
expenses, and payroll.
  In fact, that is what we want them to do. We want them to continue to 
keep their employees on the payroll if they can so that, as soon as 
people start showing up again to patronize their business, we can see 
the economy take off as these people are restored to their former jobs. 
We are hoping to minimize the disruption that this virus will have for 
our Main Street businesses and do as much as possible to avoid layoffs.
  But we also need financial assistance--I would call it economic 
stabilization--for some of the largest employers in the country, 
including our airlines, that our economy depends upon. Now, I said 
``loans'' because this money will be repaid. As to those people who 
claim that somehow we are bailing out large American corporations, that 
is not what we are proposing here. We are not giving companies a free 
pass for their own bad decisions.
  Again, nobody here in America contributed to this condition in which 
we find ourselves. That was the virus that emanated in Wuhan Province 
in China. But if we are going to have any chance of rebounding in the 
long term, we have to ensure that these businesses can survive. No 
American business, from your local sandwich shop to a major airline, 
asked for or expected this turmoil, and they need our support now.
  The final pillar of this bill will hit at the cause of this crisis: 
the virus itself. Supporting our healthcare professionals and first 
responders and ensuring that they have the resources and equipment they 
need is priority No. 1. We also need to continue investing in the 
development of a vaccine--although we know that will take months--in 
the interim, and possible treatments, including some of the drugs that 
are already on the market that are now being tested by the Food and 
Drug Administration to see whether this new application for combating 
the COVID-19 virus is effective and safe for people to take, and, of 
course, more testing and diagnostics. That is one of the things that 
distinguish America from the rest of the world on not only how 
resilient we are but how quickly we innovate our way out of problems.

  As the Presiding Officer knows, we were just at a meeting where 
Senator Alexander, the chairman of the Health, Education, Labor, and 
Pensions Committee, said that soon he anticipated a new, FDA-approved 
testing kit for the coronavirus that will be widely available. People 
who now can't get access to a test will be able to use the test based 
on advice from their medical provider and gain the confidence of 
knowing ``Hey, I am negative. I don't have anything to worry about 
personally, and what I need to do is to continue to do what the Centers 
for Disease Control told us all we need to do, which is to maintain 
good personal hygiene and social distancing''--a new phrase that we 
have all become acquainted with. As long as you are negative and you do 
those things, then you are likely going to be healthy and not be 
affected directly by this virus.
  That is one of the things that are happening in real time now--
development of the new tests. The proliferation of this inexpensive and 
quick testing will allow for people who are positive to be identified 
so they can be treated either at home or in a healthcare facility.
  The truth is, most of us--if you are otherwise healthy, if you get 
the coronavirus, you may experience some minor symptoms. One of the 
biggest concerns is people who got the virus and are asymptomatic or 
presymptomatic and whether they are infecting other people. But for 
most of us, you will be fine after you recover, but you need to be 
isolated so you don't infect others. And some people--particularly the 
elderly and people with comorbidities, underlying illnesses, or medical 
conditions, who are the most vulnerable--will have to be hospitalized, 
to be sure.
  This is one of those all-hands-on-deck moments unlike I have ever 
experienced before in my service in the Senate. I appreciate the 
response from the administration and the President on down. I 
appreciate the cooperation among our colleagues who have worked to 
prepare not only the initial proposal but who are working now on a 
bipartisan basis to come up with a package we can vote on quickly. I 
hope negotiations with our Democratic colleagues will move smoothly and 
meet the majority leader's target of having a package we can vote on on 
Monday.
  Will this be the last bill we pass relative to this crisis? I doubt 
it, but we don't know for sure because that, I think, is what is 
driving so much of the volatility in the markets and the uncertainty 
and fear that some people feel--it is the unknown. As we work our way 
through this, we will be able to adapt additional legislation, if 
required, to meet with the needs at that time. As I said, this has been 
a moving target.
  I appreciate the cooperation we have seen so far. I think, as we all 
realize, there are some things that transcend politics. Every time we 
have had a national crisis--this one included--I think it has always 
called the better angels of our nature and resulted in our ability to 
work together to produce our best efforts to help address the crisis, 
to solve the problem, and to help the American people.
  Each day we waste debating this bill further by talking about other 
ideological goals that people want to accomplish and take advantage of 
this emergency to try to pass things that are unrelated to dealing with 
the virus--every day we waste with those sorts of things is a day that 
healthcare providers, small businesses, and constituents are spending 
without the help they need and deserve.
  The time to act is now. There is no question that this pandemic will 
have a lasting impact on our country. I believe one of the things we 
need to do is figure out how we can prevent this sort of thing from 
happening ever again. But I believe a major investment by our 
government will now allow us to weather the storm together and to come 
out with the best possible result on the other side.
  I yield the floor.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.

[[Page S1889]]

  The senior assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. BARRASSO. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. BARRASSO. Mr. President, I come to the floor today to provide an 
update on the bold, bipartisan action Congress is taking to respond to 
the pandemic we have with the coronavirus.
  First, we are all deeply saddened by the loss of life due to the 
outbreak in this country and globally. I know, Mr. President, it has 
affected your State in terms of disease as well as death; in my State, 
disease, not yet death, and we are hoping to prevent that. All of us 
remain very concerned about the great loss of life and the suffering 
that is happening as a result of this.
  These are extraordinary times. We are fighting a world war to defeat 
a virus. We want to do it to save lives but also to keep people safe.
  This war has two fronts. Mr. President, I know you discussed these on 
television the other evening. I listened carefully about the impact on 
your State. As you said, we are fighting on the front of public health 
as well as the health of our economy.
  The coronavirus right now is controlling our economy. It has taken a 
dominant role. To stop this disease, the Nation has largely shut down.
  These temporary restrictions on our daily activities are necessary in 
an effort to limit new cases and the spread of the disease. Yet the 
economic fallout is devastating millions of hard-working American 
families. Once we defeat the virus, we will rebuild. Our economy will 
bounce back. We are a strong and resilient Nation, and we always bounce 
back, and we will again.
  First, we need to make it through this medical crisis. This is going 
to require big and bold and bipartisan action. The American people need 
help. I would reassure the American people that Congress is responding. 
This is a national rescue operation, as I see it, and help is on the 
way.
  President Trump and Congress are coming together in a bipartisan way 
to ease the pain of the American people. It is going to take time. It 
is going to happen. We are sending immediate relief, and we have done 
that. We are sending financial support--plus medical support--to people 
all across America.
  The bill being considered on the floor right now is called the CARES 
Act. It stands for Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act. 
It will bolster our economy, and it will help working families. This 
bill allows us to deliver direct cash payments to most Americans to see 
people through this economic downturn. People who work in small 
businesses and people who own small businesses will receive federally 
guaranteed loans to help them stay viable and keep their businesses 
viable so that they can keep their employees on the payroll until we 
get to a point where they are--from a disease standpoint--able to 
reopen the businesses. We want them to be viable when the day comes 
that businesses can reopen all across America.
  The CARES Act is major legislation that will stabilize our economy 
and protect American jobs. It also includes critical new support for 
our healthcare workers and for patients.
  I have introduced bipartisan CARES Act language, along with Senator 
Michael Bennet of Colorado, with regard to healthcare. The goal is to 
provide immediate relief for rural hospitals, for small community 
hospitals, and for small physician practices. During this crisis, rural 
hospitals and small healthcare providers are on the frontlines, 
providing urgent care. They continue to work around-the-clock, keeping 
communities in Wyoming and across the country safe.
  These providers are stretched like never before. I have talked with 
several of them in Wyoming over the past 24 hours. I talked to one this 
morning whose coronavirus test has come back. It is negative, and he is 
back in the fight today in the hospital.
  Our bill provides rural hospitals with aid in the form of Federal 
grants based on insurance payments. This will help make up for lost 
revenue due to the forced cancellation of elective surgeries. Of 
course, these are surgeries that have already been scheduled and 
planned for patients needing surgeries. Yet, in terms of providing and 
making sure we have the resources needed at those hospitals--the beds 
available and personal protective equipment--elective surgeries have 
been canceled. Small physician practices, hospitals, and rural 
communities aren't able to tolerate that sort of loss of flow, just as 
any business is not able to tolerate that sort of cashflow loss.
  Small physician practices will receive low-interest loans based on 
the payroll of that practice in terms of what we are doing with this 
bill that Michael Bennet and I--in a bipartisan way--have introduced. 
Rural healthcare workers need immediate, short-term financial relief to 
help them through this crisis time.
  The CARES Act also includes a number of important public health 
provisions. Our bill eases the shortage of drugs and critical 
equipment, including ventilators and medical masks. It expands testing 
and ensures testing is free for patients, and it speeds the development 
of new coronavirus vaccines and treatments since none have existed 
before the disease was made known worldwide as a new virus, which it 
is.
  The CARES Act that we are at looking today on the floor of the Senate 
also protects patients through the expanded use of health savings 
accounts for telehealth. It expands telehealth access for Medicare 
patients. It increases Medicare payments to hospitals treating 
coronavirus patients.
  The CARES Act will help employers and workers weather the storm that 
we are facing because of coronavirus. Once the storm passes, you know, 
as do I, that the American economy will continue to recover.
  The CARES Act is the third coronavirus emergency bill considered in 
the Senate. The first two have already been passed into law, signed by 
the President. Earlier this month, Congress passed two major relief 
packages: the first, an $8 billion emergency funding bill for our 
healthcare system; the second, a $100 billion bill to provide 
additional relief to affected families, to small businesses, and to 
workers.
  These three relief measures are only the beginning. More legislation 
will be coming to address this unprecedented economic and public 
healthcare crisis. Once we defeat the virus, the economy will recover; 
America will be back. The American people are strong. We are resilient. 
We are determined to get through this, and we will. We are all 
Americans. We are all in it together.
  Be assured that Congress will stop at nothing to ensure that America 
and Americans survive and revive and thrive. This storm will pass. The 
people of this great Nation will emerge stronger than ever. Americans 
will defeat the coronavirus together.
  I yield the floor.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Tillis). Without objection, it is so 
ordered.

                          ____________________